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"Do I need a lawyer?" I blurted The two reat Nice way to start Now I sounded guilty as all hell

"That’s completely up to you, Ms Crawford," Detective Roth said "But we’re only here to see if youthat could help us solve a crime You’re not under any sort of suspicion at this time" His expression remained serious but his eyes were kind At least, I wanted to believe that The other detective looked like he had a perood cop bad cop on me It would probably work, too I always fell for that psychological shit Especially when I was confused and stressed Like right now

I gripped the sheet in my hands "Uh, sure Whatum, what crime?"

Detective Abadie cleared his throat "You were found on Sweet Bayou Road right off Highway 180" His lips pressed together and I could see the same derision in his eyes that I’d seen in the red-haired nurse’s Maybe he didn’t knohy I was in here, ’cause of privacy laws or whatever, but he sure as hell had his suspicions

"Okay," I said, doing aze "If you say so"

"At about the same time," he continued, eyes hard and flat, "a body was found a few miles further doeet Bayou Road It had been decapitated"

"Wh-what?" I said, staring at him in horror

"Decapitated It means that his head was chopped off," he explained, tone thoroughly patronizing

A sudden burst of anger ood portion of the panic and fear that had been controlling me up until then "I knohat ‘decapitated’about this I sure as hell didn’t do it! " The two lance and a sliver of the fear came back "You don’t think I did it, do you?"

Detective Roth shook his head firmly "You’re not a suspect at this tiht now you’re the only possible witness we have Anything you can reht be useful"

I sed At this ti that In other words I sure as shit hadn’t been ruled out, even though I knew there was no way I would have chopped soht have been

So why did I re breath No There was no way I wasn’t a killer "Sweet Bayou Road?" I asked, stalling for ti other then a jumbled mess

"That’s where you were found," Detective Roth said patiently "What do you remember?"

"Idon’t knoeet Bayou Road was only about five hway from where I lived, but there wasn’t a whole lot on it A few fishing camps near the end, and the rest of it was several h the marsh "I ht and" I rubbed hNo, I died But then I was hungry Starving-to-death hungry

I took an unsteady breath "Then I was out on the road, and there was an aotto eat because I was so dary Maybe that’s why I didn’t walk into the stupid white light Maybe I knew they wouldn’t have anything to eat down that way